Customer Reviews
Regrets about The Real Thing - By: J. Russell, 03 Jul 2006 
I have read Rosie Meadows Regrets & truly adored it. So it was with much anticipation that I picked up The Real Thing. Unfortunately, I am completely with the first two reviewers; in fact it is not often in my consumption of Chic Lit that I want the heroine to come to a sticky end, but my God how thick & self-obsessed was she? If you want to work up some annoyance it is probably worth reading. If you want a giggle & a deserved happy ending, read Rosie Meadows Regrets.
The worst thing I have read in a long time. - By: , 15 Mar 2006 
I'm finding it hard to find suitable words to describe how I felt about this book. I found the main character to be completely self-obsessed & was at a loss as to how she had snared this wonderful husband she was considering cheating on. As a 'lower class' working mother, I became increasingly irritated at Tess' tribulations - school run & shopping in one morning - the poor love! I also wondered why it was necessary for brand names to be continuallly inserted throughout the book.
I found it completely unbelievable how the main characters would go into a rambling rant at the slightest thing - do people actuallly talk like that in Alliot's world?
The twists & turns in the plot were quite entertaining, but for me the book was spoilt because most of the characters in the book were irritating in the extreme.
Without doubt, the worst book I have read in a long time & I would have to be tortured before I read another book by this author.
Unappealing main character ruins this book - By: , 30 Dec 2002 The Real Thing was my first Catherine Alliott read; she came highly recommended, but this book proved a tremendous disappointment. The book was well-written enough, but like a previous reviewer, I found the main character off-putting in the extreme. Her intense selfishness & nasty behavior made me long for her comeuppance, but alas, she was granted an undeserved happy ending. The fact that the book was written in the first person, from her point of view, only accentuated her utter self-obsession. I know the real world is full of such people, but hey, isn't this supposed to be fun escapist fiction?!
Funny book, shame about the main character - By: , 07 Mar 2001 Mabye it's just me, but as much as I love Catherine Alliott's books, the main character, Tessa, in "The Real Thing" was absolutely irritating & annoying. Catherine Alliott writes some great stuff & is very witty, but Tess...I was secretly hoping that she would get what she deserved, & not the "happy" ending she got.
this book was so much fun to read. - By: , 04 Mar 2001 
I've never read such a funny & recognizable book before. I think it's brilliant. I had to laugh loud so many times.
